Mink Almost Ready for Release

An elusive and beautiful furbearing creature is progressing well in our Wildlife Education & Rehabilitation Program. A young mink was brought suffering from the effects of ringworm. (In the photo below you can still see the circle marks under the fur that are a hallmark of this fungal disease, even though the ringworm is now greatly improved.)

You can also see that the mink looks a lot like the Weasel that we briefly had in rehab intake last week. Mink are excellent swimmers and are found near still and running water in all parts of Ohio. For the wildlife lover, they can be hard to spot in nature since they prefer solitude and are active mostly at night.

The typical diet of this little carnivore includes small mammals, with the muskrat a favorite, as well as birds, frogs, eggs, fish and crayfish. The video below shows our mink "patient" enjoying a fishy meal this morning.
-Amy LeMonds, Wildlife Rehabilitation Specialist

Find more fun facts about the mink from the Ohio Division of Wildlife and at this link to Enchanted Learning where you can download a mink coloring sheet.